Agenda and minutes

To note the attendance at this meeting of any duly appointed Reserve Members.

Reserve Members may attend meetings:-

(i)                 to take the place of an ordinary Member for whom they are a reserve;

(ii)               where the ordinary Member will be absent for the whole of the meeting; and

(iii)             the meeting notes at the start of the meeting at the item ‘Reserves’ that the Reserve Member is or will be attending as a reserve;

(iv)              if a Reserve Member whose intention to attend has been noted arrives after the commencement of the meeting, then that Reserve Member can only act as a Member from the start of the next item of business on the agenda after his/her arrival.

RESOLVED:  To note that there were no Reserve Members in attendance at this meeting.

To receive declarations of personal or prejudicial interests, arising from business to be transacted at this meeting, from:

(a)               all Members of the Committee, Sub Committee, Panel or Forum;

(b)               all other Members present in any part of the room or chamber.

RESOLVED:  To note that there were no declarations of interests.

To appoint a Vice-Chairman of the Supporting People Advisory Panel for the Municipal Year 2010/11.

RESOLVED:  To appoint Councillor Lynda Seymour as Vice-Chairman of the Supporting People Advisory Panel for the 2010/11 Municipal Year.

That the minutes of the meeting held on 23 February 2010 be taken as read and signed as a correct record.

RESOLVED:  That the minutes of the meeting held on 23 February 2010, be taken as read and signed as a correct record.

To receive questions (if any) from local residents or organisations under the provisions of Executive Procedure Rule 51 (Part 4D of the Constitution).

RESOLVED:  To note that no public questions were put or petitions or deputations received at this meeting.

Report of the Corporate Director Adults and Housing.

An officer introduced a report of the Corporate Director Adults and Housing, which set out an update on the key developments within the Supporting People programme since the last Panel meeting in February 2010.

He advised that:

·                     Supporting People (SP) team continued to work in partnership with Providers and Stakeholders to ensure that the needs of service users were being met;

·                     SP had jointly commissioned a Support For Living Plus service that was designed to meet the needs of service users who required support with both housing and care related needs;

·                     data collated from service users showed a large number were unable to gain long term employment.  This was a key outcome identified by the SP team, who would work alongside providers to ensure the users attained long term employment;

·                     service providers had been given the details of Reed in Partnership and Women Like Us, two locally commissioned organisations that provided support for people seeking employment.  The officer advised that comparative performance figures between these organisations would be provided to a future meeting;

·                     service provider accounts were reviewed across all client groups, where provisions and strategic needs were examined.  He added that the findings from this review would determine the best course of action for each specific client;

·                     officers would continue to commission, decommission or remodel services against measures originally identified as part of the procurement process;

·                     the SP team had been working alongside the Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) to support existing provisions for older people;

·                     service users that had enrolled on the Peer Consultants scheme received a three month training provision.  Candidates were selected based on demonstrable skills;

·                     results of a tender being evaluation exercise for Learning Disability were expected by October 2010.

In response to questions by Members, the officer advised that:

·                     Brent Homeless Users Group had devised the Peer Consultants scheme. Information sessions were held detailing the expectations of the role.  Those recruited would receive recompense in the form of vouchers for their time.  The role was not full-time and would help to develop Curriculum Vitas and improve potential career prospects;

·                     there were currently nine Peer Consultants in Harrow.  The service users were involved in exercises ranging from procurement submissions, strategy consultation and monitoring activity.

·                     in relation to Young People and Teenage Parents, the Leaving Care Team and Children’s Services were consulted to ensure that those most in need received the necessary support;

·                     the joint tender process for Domestic Violence Services with Harrow and Hillingdon Councils was still ongoing.  Efficiencies had not yet been published as an outcome;

·                     efficiencies had been made in the contracts provided by the Metropolitan Support Trust, which provided support for residents referred with mental health and substance misuse issues;

·                     information regarding grant funding for the Sanctuary scheme for the homeless would be provided to a future meeting of the Panel;

·                     responsibility for Service Management of the SP programme has passed to the Service Manager for Strategic Commissioning Amanda Dade who will be attending future meetings of the Panel.

RESOLVED:  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

Vote of Thanks:

Members of the Panel expressed their gratitude to Nick Davies, former Supporting People Team Manager for his work carried out in relation to Supporting People over the years.